Innovation Coaching: Stop Building Products Nobody Wants
Most innovation teams waste months building the wrong thing. Our question-based coaching helps you discover what customers actually need, validate before you build, and cut your time-to-market — so you invest in ideas that work.
No obligation, just valuable insights to get you started.
"CoachingUP helped me validate my business idea and chart a path to a successful business."
Why Do Teams Choose CoachingUP?
Teams choose CoachingUP because we coach with questions instead of answers — a method tested with 50+ innovation teams (as of 2026) on six continents. You get sharper customer discovery, tools you can use Monday morning, and decisions you can defend with evidence instead of opinion. Sessions are virtual and sold one hour at a time, with no long-term contract. Keep going only while you see real value.
Customer Discovery Expertise
Transform customer observations into actionable insights that reveal hidden opportunities your competitors miss. Our process has been refined through work with 50+ innovation teams (as of 2026).
Practical Innovation Tools
Access visual management frameworks, prototype development guides, and measurement tools that turn abstract concepts into concrete action plans with clear metrics.
Results-Focused Approach
Move beyond solutions to deliver measurable value that solves your customers' real problems. Teams that test before they build stop spending months on the wrong thing.
A great coach helps teams excel at all three. We work virtually, one hour at a time—no long-term contracts, no travel expenses.
Continue only if you're seeing real value.
The Innovation Path Framework
Stop wasting time and resources on ideas that won't work. Our proven Innovation Path framework helps teams learn about their ideas as quickly as possible with minimal risk.
The path has seven stages. Every engagement walks them in order:
- Ideation — get every idea on the table before anyone falls in love with one.
- Observation — go watch real customers do the real work.
- Insight — decide what those observations actually mean.
- Opportunities — turn the best insights into problems worth solving.
- Assumptions — name the guesses you’re betting on, riskiest first.
- Experimentation — run the cheapest test that could prove you wrong.
- Decision — build it, change it, or drop it, based on what you learned.
How Does Our Coaching Process Work?
It starts with a free 15-minute call, where we name your biggest innovation challenge and you leave with at least one thing you can act on. From there you pick the depth: a single focused session, The 3-Hour Innovation Plan with its full roadmap and 30-day implementation support, or ongoing coaching. Every session is virtual, and nothing locks you in.
Free Strategy Consultation
In just 15 minutes, we'll identify your biggest innovation challenges and opportunities. You'll walk away with at least one actionable insight, guaranteed.
Focused Coaching Sessions
Tackle your most pressing innovation needs with targeted sessions that deliver immediate value. Each session includes practical tools and specific next steps.
The 3-Hour Innovation Plan
Our signature offering provides a complete innovation roadmap in just three hours. Includes customer discovery framework, action plan, and 30 days of implementation support.
Ongoing Innovation Support
For teams ready for deeper engagement, we provide consistent guidance throughout your innovation journey with measurable results and skill development.
What Results Do Innovation Teams See?
One founder validated an idea before writing a line of code and saved three months of build time. A corporate team cut its go/no-go timeline in half using the Innovation Path. Across 50+ teams (as of 2026) on six continents — startups, corporations, non-profits, government agencies — the pattern holds: cheap questions early beat expensive rework later.
A startup founder validated their idea before writing a single line of code — saving months of wasted effort.
A corporate team cut their go/no-go timeline in half using our evidence-based Innovation Path framework.
Startups, non-profits, government agencies, and corporate innovators across six continents.
Extend your runway by eliminating expensive missteps through customer-focused development.
Launch innovations faster by applying lean startup methods within complex organizations.
Maximize limited resources with measurable impact that resonates with stakeholders.
Which Innovation Coaching Option Fits Your Team?
Three, and they differ only in depth. The Quick Focus Session ($69.99) buys 30 virtual minutes on one specific problem. The Innovation Session ($99.99) runs an hour and adds a custom action plan plus 14 days of email support. The 3-Hour Innovation Plan ($300) builds a full roadmap across three sessions, with a customer discovery framework and 30 days of implementation support. Not sure which? The free 15-minute call sorts that out.
Quick Focus Session
$69.99
- 30-minute virtual coaching
- Tackle a specific challenge
- Actionable next steps
- Follow-up summary email
Perfect for addressing immediate needs
Buy the Quick Focus Session ($69.99) directly →Innovation Session
$99.99
- 60-minute team or 1:1 coaching
- In-depth problem exploration
- Custom action plan
- Innovation tools & resources
- 14-day email support
Our most popular single-session option
Buy the Innovation Session ($99.99) directly →The 3-Hour Innovation Plan
$300.00
- Complete innovation roadmap
- Three 60-minute sessions
- Customer discovery framework
- Innovation path documentation
- 30-day implementation support
Our most comprehensive offering · See the full plan →
Buy the 3-Hour Innovation Plan ($300) directly →Payment, rescheduling and refunds. Sessions are paid up front through Stripe. Need to move one? Give us a day’s notice and we’ll find a new time at no charge. Cancel a package before the first session and we refund it in full; after that, we refund any sessions you haven’t used. Questions about a payment go to coach@coachingup.us.
Not sure which option is right for you?
Start with our free 15-minute consultation to discuss your specific needs.
Schedule Your Free ConsultWhat Clients Say
Hear from teams who've transformed their innovation process.
"CoachingUP helped us pinpoint what our customers actually needed, not what we thought they wanted. This single insight saved us three months of development time."
J.R.
Startup Founder, SaaS
"The 3-Hour Plan completely transformed how our team approaches innovation. We've cut our decision-making time in half and increased our success rate."
M.L.
Innovation Director, Fortune 500
"Working with CoachingUP helped our non-profit maximize our limited resources. Their practical approach to innovation is perfect for organizations with tight budgets."
S.P.
Executive Director, Non-Profit
What Free Innovation Resources Do We Offer?
Three written guides and one PDF, no charge. Read how to choose an innovation coach, how to turn customer observations into insights, and why innovation ideas fail, then browse the full library on our resources page. The 3-Hour Innovation Plan Guide downloads below. If you want the whole method, that’s what Enquire to Inspire is for.
Finding the Right Innovation Coach
Learn the 5 essential qualities to look for in an innovation coach and how to identify the perfect match for your team's specific challenges.
Read Guide →From Observations to Breakthrough Insights
What you see and what it means are two very different things. Don't fall into the observation trap.
Learn More →Access all of our Free Resources
Insights and tools to help you get a feel for what it's like to work with Coachingup.us as we help you on your journey.
Access all the Resources →Free: The 3-Hour Innovation Plan Guide
See exactly how our signature coaching program works. Enter your email to download the full PDF.
We'll never share your email. We use it only to send the guide and, at most, one follow-up. Privacy Policy
Read "Enquire to Inspire"
20 questions to mentor your innovation team to success. The essential guide to Bill's coaching methodology.
Get the Book
Meet Your Coach
Bill Murray has coached innovation and customer discovery teams at startups, corporations, non-profits, and government agencies around the world.
His question-based methodology — detailed in his book Enquire to Inspire — helps teams stop guessing what customers want and start building products people actually need. Bill has worked with 50+ teams (as of 2026), teaching them to validate ideas quickly, test assumptions cheaply, and make evidence-based decisions.
Unlike traditional consultants who prescribe solutions, Bill coaches through questions — building your team's capability so they can innovate independently long after the engagement ends.
The Book
Enquire to Inspire
20 Questions to Mentor Your Innovation Team to Success
"It's what you ask your team, not what you tell them, that drives amazing outcomes."
Stop managing people with answers. Start mentoring them with questions. This concise 106-page guide gives you twenty of them, one for every stage from forming the team to handing off the work.
$24.99 in the US; $30.99 (US dollars) to the UK. Softcover, 106 pages, ISBN 979-8-218-96661-4. Outside the US and UK? Email Bill for delivery options.
Frequently Asked Questions About Innovation Coaching
Short answers to the questions people ask before they book. Coaching is virtual, starts at $69.99, and begins with a free 15-minute call. If your question isn’t here, ask it — we answer within one business day. The long version of the method lives in Enquire to Inspire.
What is innovation coaching?
Innovation coaching is a structured process where an experienced mentor guides teams through customer discovery, idea validation, and product development using questions rather than directives. At CoachingUP, we use a question-based methodology proven with 50+ innovation teams (as of 2026) to help you build products customers actually want.
Who is Bill Murray and what is Enquire to Inspire?
Bill Murray is an innovation coach, speaker, and author of "Enquire to Inspire: 20 Questions to Mentor Your Innovation Team to Success." He has coached customer discovery and product design teams at companies and startups of all sizes across six continents. His approach centers on mentoring through questions rather than telling teams what to do.
How does virtual innovation coaching work?
All CoachingUP sessions are conducted virtually via video call. Sessions range from 30-minute Quick Focus calls ($69.99) to 60-minute Innovation Sessions ($99.99) to our comprehensive 3-Hour Innovation Plan ($300). You get actionable insights, custom tools, and follow-up support — no travel required.
What is the difference between a coach and a sponsor in innovation teams?
A coach is an external advisor who helps teams develop skills in customer discovery, experimentation, and innovation methodology. A sponsor is an internal leader who provides the team with resources, permissions, and organizational support. The most effective innovation programs have both — a coach to guide the process and a sponsor to remove organizational barriers.
Who is CoachingUP for?
CoachingUP serves startup founders, corporate innovation teams, non-profit executives, government agencies, and entrepreneurship educators. Our methodology works for any team that needs to validate ideas, discover what customers actually need, and build solutions that deliver real value — regardless of industry or organization size.
How much does innovation coaching cost?
CoachingUP offers three coaching packages: Quick Focus Session (30 minutes) for $69.99, Innovation Session (60 minutes) for $99.99, and The 3-Hour Innovation Plan for $300. All packages include actionable deliverables and follow-up support. We also offer a free 15-minute consultation to help you determine which option fits your needs.
What makes question-based coaching different from traditional consulting?
Traditional consulting tells teams what to do. Question-based coaching asks the right questions to help teams discover answers themselves. This approach builds lasting skills in customer discovery, critical thinking, and evidence-based decision making — capabilities that continue to deliver value long after the coaching engagement ends.
Book Your Free 15-Minute Consultation
Tell us your challenge below and we’ll reply within one business day with a time that works. The call costs nothing, commits you to nothing, and you’ll leave it with at least one thing you can act on. Prefer email or phone? Both sit beside the form. We work Mon–Fri, 9 am to 10 pm Central (US), and every session is virtual.
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